By Mark Cooper, Messenger-Inquirer

Owensboro Community and Technical College has topped the $700,000 mark in gifts and pledges in a fund-raising campaign to boost its endowments, college officials said Tuesday.

A private campaign with the college's faculty and staff last year raised $112,000 while an ongoing private campaign with the college's board and foundation members has so far raised another $591,000 for a total of $703,000, said Cathy Baker, director of advancement.

The public phase of the campaign will be launched early next year, Baker said. The campaign has no overall goal, Baker said, but a feasibility study indicated the college's region could support a drive for $3 million to $9 million.

"The most important thing to us is for the community to know that this is only the second time in 15 years that we've gone to the community and asked them to help us build an endowment," OCTC President Jacqueline Addington said.

A campaign launched in 1994 raised $700,000 for endowments and an early learning center.

Ninety-nine percent of all faculty and staff members contributed to the campaign last year, one of the highest percentages in the state for community colleges raising money, Baker said. Hopkinsville, Madisonville and Henderson are also conducting fund drives, she said.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is also conducting a statewide campaign. The KCTCS "Fulfilling the Promise" campaign, launched in October, also has no set goal.

So far, half of the board and foundation members have contributed, said Larry Miller, OCTC's dean of students. The public phase of the campaign -- expected to raise the bulk of the total amount -- will begin after the current phase ends, he said.

Baker said the money will go to three main areas:

Scholarships -- A Student Success endowment has a target of $1.5 million.

College Advancement Fund -- This endowment will fund "community driven programs," provide internship opportunities for faculty and staff and upgrade technology.

Unrestricted Fund -- A fund to help match a $350,000 federal Title III grant that together would create a $700,000 endowment for institutional effectiveness.

The college has only $130,000 in various small scholarship endowments.

"We're the only college in our region without a large endowment," Baker said.

The statewide campaign will also raise money for scholarship endowments, program support, new technology and equipment, faculty and new facilities.

While the campaign has no set goal, officials hope the five-year campaign will beat a similar one by the Kentucky community college system in the mid-1990s that brought in about $43 million.

KCTCS officials say private support is crucial to community colleges since their state funding has been cut by $7 million in the last two fiscal years.

About 71,000 students are enrolled in KCTCS schools, which includes 62 campuses open or preparing to open across the state.

Note: OCTC's region could better support a drive for $3 million to $5 million, as opposed to $3 million to $9 million as was reported.

Copyright 2003, Messenger-Inquirer; reprinted with permission